Heart of fire
by Lucyferina
Summary: They were trying to fuse themselves into each other. Passion and life, this was what she wanted and maybe she had taken the long and hard road but at the end of the day she wouldn't change anything if it led her there. Bella/Jacob. Complete.


**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the characters, they all belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**AN:** hello everyone, at the moment it's just a one-shot but it might be a bit longer if the muse strikes me again. It's set after the wedding in BD. As usual, it's a Jacob/Bella.

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><p><em>"There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it <em>

_and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself."_

_Henry David Thoreau_

**Heart of fire**

The ceremony has been everything she has ever imagined it would be. She had married Edward Cullen and the celebration was in full swing. People were happily chatting and Bella on the arm of her husband was walking around and thanking everyone for being there.

Bella turned her head in time to see Billy and Charlie on a corner and her heart stopped for a moment. Jacob had been in her thoughts and in her heart for the whole day; she knew what she had given up by marrying Edward. Still her heart was painfully reminding her that she had given up not just a best friend, but someone who held a big chunk of her.

She whispered to Edward to go on without her and she slowly walked towards her father and his best friend. "Hey Billy… is Jacob… back?" She asked timidly, she didn't know if she deserved to know.

"Yes, he's here. In the trees, he didn't know whether to come or not." Billy answered looking at her with his intense eyes so similar to his son.

Bella turned to see where Edward was and when she noticed that he was into a talk with Jasper and Carlisle she dared to look into the woods. So she took a swift decision and walked quickly out of her reception and got into the forest.

"Jake? Jacob?" She called softly; she knew that he would hear her. She heard a rustle, and Jacob came out from behind a tree. It has been more than a month since she had seen him and her heart was now beating wildly. He had grown again, but at the same time he looked ruffled. Her mind and her body were begging her to go to him, to hold onto him and never let go.

However, she was rooted in her place and he didn't make any step towards her either. She was watching him like a thirsty woman in the desert that finally saw water. He was wearing short black trousers that were like a second skin and a white shirt that did nothing to cover his astounding muscles.

Bella gulped again, because it was like she was seeing him for the first time, not with the eyes of a friend but as a woman saw a man. She was shocked to realize that she hadn't felt this kind of emotion when she had walked along the aisle towards her husband. And now she cringed thinking about it, husband was a serious word.

"Hi Bella or should I call you Mrs. Cullen?" He whispered roughly.

Bella felt like he had slapped her. No Bells, no smiles, his eyes were pool of pain and raw emotions that were too much to look at. Fort the first time in a long time she was ashamed of herself, of what she had done to this wonderful man in front of her. She had broken him, maybe even beyond repair. She had done to him what Edward did to her, and that was a pain she thought Jacob didn't deserve.

"Jacob…" She wasn't able to say anything more, because really what could she say to make him feel better?

"Don't… please don't say anything else. You made it clear when you visited me last time that I would never be enough. There's nothing that can hurt more than that." He replied still not moving an inch. She wondered if he was feeling the need to phase, to go to Edward and shred him to pieces, if she was in his place she might have.

Words were not coming out but she was watching him, and though she shouldn't... she wanted him, wanted him like she had never wanted anything or anyone else. Could it be possible that she had been fooling herself all this time? Was Jacob the natural path? The right path? She could live without Edward, she had already done it, but could she leave Jacob behind? The last month without him had been excruciatingly painful, not a day had gone by without her heart calling Jacob's name. Whispering to her that she needed him more than she could admit.

She took a step towards him without realizing what she was doing, and he took a step back. "Please…" She begged and took another step, he stood still. Time seemed to stop while she walked the remaining space between her and Jacob. When she was right in front of him she inhaled deeply, and was regaled with his scent. Forest, salt and cinnamon. Her heart flip-flopped, and her stomach was full of butterflies.

Jacob was watching her but wasn't moving or talking, she put up a hand to touch his chest but he shook his head. "Haven't you done enough harm Bella? What more do you want from me?"

Her soul cried for him, the pain he was in was the same pain she was feeling. Because even though he might have not imprinted on her, she had imprinted on him. She had her heart marked by his warmth, his love, his honesty and his presence. There was nothing more she could ask in a man, and for the first time she knew that even though she loved Edward and he could live with the awareness of her loving Jacob as well, she couldn't do the same. She couldn't be with Edward knowing how she felt for Jacob.

Tears started to fall from her eyes, never ever would she have thought that she was going to break Edward's heart in this way. She had just married him, pleaded to the world that she would be loyal, faithful and forever his. She had lied. Because everything inside her was screaming that what she really wanted was the man in front of her.

She craved for dark skin, scorching hands and sunny days. "I made a mistake." She whispered and he looked at her with shocked eyes. "I made a mistake in marrying Edward, I made a mistake in leaving you, I made a mistake when I told you that I would always love him more, I made a mistake when I told you that you weren't enough…" She would have continued more but she was stopped by his mouth on hers.

There was no mistake this time, Jacob was claiming what was his, what has always been his. Bella placed her hands around his neck and pulled him closer, their tongues moved together and she felt warmth spread through her body. Jacob wasn't careful and she felt his rough hands around her waist pulling her closer to him. There was nothing stopping them from feeling each other's bodies. With a quick movement she was laying her back on a tree and Jacob pushing her even closer to him.

She didn't care that the tree was hurting her back, she didn't care that Jacob was kissing her forcefully, she didn't care that he was pushing her farther than she had ever been with anyone. His hands were roving over her body, touching and feeling her, warming her frozen heart. She didn't know where she finished and where he began. They were trying to fuse themselves into each other. Passion and life, this was what she wanted and maybe she had taken the long and hard road but at the end of the day she wouldn't change anything if it led her there, being ravished by Jacob.

"Mine." He was whispering between kisses. "Yours." She was whispering back.

"Love?" Edward's sweet voice startled them both.

Jacob moved away slightly, his hands were still on her waist and he was half hiding her. Bella swallowed once, twice and then took a deep breath. She could try to stall how much she wanted, but eventually she would have to say something.

"I'm… so-sorry." She stuttered. It wasn't enough and she knew, but words were failing her again. How do you say to your husband of one hour that you made a mistake and that you want to be with your werewolf best-friend?

"Sorry about what exactly? About kissing Jacob once more?" Edward asked with his eyes darkening.

"I'm sorry that I can't be your wife. I'm sorry that I can't love you wholeheartedly. I'm sorry that I love Jacob more…" She finally said, and she knew that she meant it.

"What about your promises? What about all our plans? What about the Volturi?" Edward said seriously.

Bella was then gripped with fear; if she stayed with Jacob she would bring death to his people. She might even lose him if they knew that he was her choice.

Jacob spoke then. "We'll take care of anyone wanting to hurt Bella. She's one of our own now."

"You don't know what you're talking about Jacob. They'll slaughter you and your brothers and then they'll get to Bella and take her with them. Let her go, let her be with me and I'll protect her. I'll make her happy." Edward pleaded, probably hoping to move him.

"I remember a conversation we had recently Edward, you told me that you were prepared to let her go if she realized that she wanted to be with me. It appears that she has chosen me. And I'll deal with any treat to my woman." Jacob snarled.

Bella was surprised that Edward and Jacob had talked, but then she recalled that they had shared a tent and she had fallen asleep at some point.

"Bella? Do you really want to bring death to the Quileute's?" Edward asked her, now trying to guilt her into leaving Jacob.

"I… I trust Jacob, if he says that he'll take care of me then he will. He never disappointed me." She replied, not sure where her strength was coming from, she had made her choice now and she wasn't going back. She looked at her hands and slowly took off both rings, and after struggling a moment she took off the heart shaped diamond from her bracelet. She then put the three objects in his hand.

He nodded and let her go. Slowly he walked towards Edward and dropped the rings and the diamond in his hand. "You have your answer, I think you should go."

Edward's pained eyes met Bella's one. She knew that she would always miss him but she would have missed Jacob's more. "Goodbye love, I hope you just didn't kill all your friends and family."

Jacob growled and in two strides was again holding Bella in his arms, she was shaking both for the shock and the pain but his warmth got through her and when she closed her eyes she relaxed on his chest.

"Bells… let's go." He said kissing the crown of her hair.

"Where?" She whispered.

"I got a bike just behind those trees. Let's leave for a while, just you and me." He said looking at her with his dark intense eyes.

She nodded and he smiled at her, his sunny Jacob's smile. "I love you Bells."

"I love you too…" She answered honestly, she didn't know what the future would hold for her, but she knew that every day that she could spend with Jacob was a day worth living.


End file.
